SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND CONTROL FOR FLUID MANAGEMENT

• US 20150316936A1
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subeca, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seco Sys Corporation
• Inventors: MCCARRICK, Henry J., BURROW, Kevin E., MANELY, James R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/56 by using electric or magnetic effects G01F1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/06 Indicating or recording devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0676 by action on flow sources G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention discloses an application specific operating profile (or use-profile) that includes functions based on one or more criteria specific to an environment within which fluid is managed. The functions include a set of attributes, the values of which enable management of fluid.

Claims

1. A method for management of fluid, comprising:

providing one or more use-profiles that operate based on a predetermined set of ranges of values of a set of flow characteristics of a flow profile of a fluid.

2. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a use-profile of one or more use-profiles is selected based on one or more criteria specific to an environment within which fluid is managed.

3. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the use-profile is an event monitor profile with an expected flow profile for a flow event that sets a controlling valve to open and commences monitoring of the flow event to detect deviations from expected flow profile;

wherein a defined set of processes are initiated if deviations from expected flow profile are detected.

4. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the use-profile is a manual dispense profile with an expected flow profile for manual dispense of fluid with a controlling valve set to close;

commencing manual dispense profile by activating a user interface actuator which enables opening of the controlling valve to enable a flow of fluid;

delivering a specific volume of fluid while commencing monitoring of the flow of fluid to detect deviations from expected flow profile;

wherein the controlling valve closes when the specific volume of fluid is delivered or if deviations from expected flow profile are detected.

5. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the use-profile is a scheduled delivery profile with an expected flow profile for scheduled deliver of fluid with a controlling valve set to close;

commencing scheduled delivery profile by activating a user interface actuator which enables opening of the controlling valve;

delivering a specific volume of fluid in accordance with a predefined schedule while commencing monitoring of the flow of fluid to detect deviations from expected flow profile;

wherein the controlling valve closes when the specific volume of fluid is delivered in accordance with the predefined schedule or if deviations from expected flow profile are detected.

6. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the use-profile is an episode control profile with an expected flow profile for an episode control of fluid, including expected limits of one or more parameters of an episode, with a controlling valve set to open for episode control;

commencing monitoring of a flow of fluid to detect deviations from expected flow profile and expected limits of one or more parameters of the episode;

wherein the controlling valve closes when the expected limits of one or more parameters of the episode are breached or if deviations from expected flow profile are detected; and

wherein;

the controlling valve resets to open based on a set of criteria.

7. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the use-profile is a fill vessel profile with an expected flow profile for filling a vessel with a controlling valve set to close;

commencing monitoring of a flow of fluid to detect deviations from expected flow profile and expected limits of one or more parameters of fill vessel profile;

wherein the controlling valve closes when the expected limits of one or more parameters of the fill vessel profile are breached or if deviations from expected flow profile are detected.

8. The method for management of fluid as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the flow profile is determined by:

monitoring the predetermined set of ranges of values of the set of flow characteristics;

determining if a value of the flow characteristic of the set of flow characteristics is an unexpected flow value;

if the value is determined to be unexpected,

commencing initiating a set of operations indicative of unexpected flow characteristic.

9. A method for management of fluid, comprising:

providing one or more use-profiles that operate based on a predetermined set of ranges of values of a set of flow characteristics of a flow profile of a fluid;

a use-profile of one or more use-profile is an event monitor profile with an expected flow profile for a flow event that sets a controlling valve to open and commences monitoring of the flow event to detect deviations from expected flow profile;

wherein a defined set of processes are initiated if deviations from expected flow profile are detected.